Nk’uko byatangajwe n’ibitangazamakuru umwaka ushize, ibiciro by’ibintu byinshi bikenerwa mu buzima bwa buri munsi bw’abatuye Maine bikomeje kuzamuka, harimo n’amadolari bishyura ku mashanyarazi n’izindi ngufu zifashishwa. Mu by’ukuri, hagati ya 2014 na 2024, impuzandengo y’igiciro cy’amashanyarazi muri Maine yazamutse ku kigero cya gatatu kiri hejuru kurusha izindi leta zo muri Leta Zunze Ubumwe za Amerika.

Turi ihuriro ry’imiryango iharanira kubungabunga ibidukikije no kwita ku ngufu muri Maine, harimo: Maine Conservation Voters, Maine Community Power Cooperative, Maine Climate Action Now, Our Power, na A Climate to Thrive.

Muri uyu mwaka, twagiye twigisha abaturage bo hirya no hino muri Maine ku mpamvu zitera iri zamuka ry’ibiciro. Turizera ko bizafasha abaturage gusobanukirwa impamvu ibiciro biri kuzamuka, uburyo ibigo bitanga amashanyarazi n’urusobe rw’amashanyarazi (electric grid) bikora muri Maine muri iki gihe, ndetse n’impinduka twifuza ko zabaho mu gihe kiri imbere.

None se iri zamuka ry’ibiciro riraturuka he?

Izamuka ry’ingufu nyirizina

Ku nyemezabwishyu (fagitire) y’amashanyarazi, hari ibyiciro bibiri by’ingenzi by’amadolari wishyura: supply (umusaruro cyangwa ikiguzi cyo gukora amashanyarazi) na delivery (ikiguzi cyo kuyageza ku bakiriya).

  • Supply ni amadolari yo gutunganya infugu nk’amashanyarazi.
  • Delivery ni amadolari yo kuyavana aho akorerwa akagezwa mu ngo z’abakiriya.

Aya amadolari ya kugeza ingufu ku muguzi anarimo cyo gusana no kubungabunga urusobe rw’ingufu, hamwe n’andi madolari ajyanye n’ubuyobozi n’izindi gahunda.

Gaze karemano (Natural Gas)

Maine ibona amashanyarazi yayo binyuze ku rusobe rw’amashanyarazi rwa New England grid, aho inganda zikora amashanyarazi zikoresha gaze karemano zitanga hejuru ya kimwe cya kabiri cy’amashanyarazi yose akorwa.

Ibi bivuze ko igihe ibiciro bya gazi bizamutse kubera ubwiyongere bw’ikoreshwa ryayo mu karere nko mu bihe by’ubukonje bukabije cyangwa kubera ibibazo byo ku rwego mpuzamahanga, izo mpinduka zihita zigira ingaruka ku madolari y’amashanyarazi abaturage bishyura buri kwezi.

Kwishingikiriza cyane kuri gazi karemano bituma kandi Maine ihura n’ingaruka z’ihindagurika ry’ibibazo byo ku rwego mpuzamahanga.

Urugero, hagati ya 2021 na 2023, ibiciro by’umusaruro w’ingufu muri Maine byikubye hafi gatatu bitewe n’izamuka ry’ibiciro bya gazi karemano nyuma y’aho Uburusiya buteye ukraine.

Mu mezi ya vuba aha, twabonye kandi uburyo intambara irimo Amerika, Israel na Iran yagize uruhare mu kongera kuzamura ibiciro bya essence.

Maine kdi inashingira kuri gazi karemano y’amazi itumizwa mu mahanga, ikaba ihenze cyane. LNG itumizwa mu mahanga itwara Maine miliyari $4 z’amadolari ya Amerika buri mwaka.

Izamuka ry’amafaranga yo kugeza ingufu ku bakiriya (Delivery Costs)

Gusana ibyangijwe n’inkubi z’umuyaga ingufu

Urubura, snow n’imiyaga ikaze bikunze kuranga igihe cy’ubukonje muri Maine bituma urusobe rw’ingufu rugira ibyago byinshi byo kwangirika.

Iyo habaye ibihe bidasanzwe by’ikirere muri Maine, ibigo bitanga ingufu nka Central Maine Power (CMP) na Versant Power biba bigomba kohereza abakozi gukuraho ibiti n’amashami byaguye ku nsinga z’amashanyarazi no gusana amapoto n’insinga byangiritse.

Ibi bituma ibigo by’amashanyarazi bishora amadolari menshi mu kubungabunga no gukomeza urusobe rw’amashanyarazi mbere y’uko ibibazo bibaho, harimo gutema ibiti bishobora guteza ikibazo, gukomeza amapoto y’amashanyarazi no kuvugurura imirongo y’insinga.

Abakiriya bishyura ayo madolari igihe habaye inkubi nyinshi cyangwa nkeya. Kugeza vuba aha, abakiriya ba CMP bishyuraga hafi amadolari $20 kuri fagitire isanzwe kugira ngo hishyurwe amadolari yakoreshejwe mu gusana ibyangijwe n’inkubi zo mu bukonje zo mu mwaka wa 2023–2024.

Kubera iyo mpamvu, amadolari ajyanye no gusana ibyangijwe n’inkubi, kubungabunga no kuvugurura urusobe rw’angufu ni kimwe mu byagize uruhare mu izamuka ry’ibiciro ryagaragaye mu myaka icumi ishize.

Inkunga za gahunda y’amashanyarazi y’izuba n’izindi

Amadolari adafitanye isano itaziguye no kohereza cyangwa gukwirakwiza amashanyarazi yitwa “stranded costs”. Ayo madolari arimo: amadolari y’ubuyobozi n’imikorere by’ibigo by’amashanyarazi, gahunda z’ikigo cya leta kizwi nka Efficiency Maine Trust, n’izindi gahunda zigamije gufasha abaturage.

Mbere, ayo madolari yanarimo inkunga zatangwaga ku mishinga minini y’ingufu zikomoka ku mirasire y’izuba (solar), ariko izo nkunga zaragabanyijwe cyane mu mwaka wa 2025.

Kuri ubu, izamuka risigaye riterwa ahanini n’amadolari y’imiyoborere ndetse na gahunda zifasha imiryango ifite ubushobozi buke kubona amashanyarazi.

Ejo hazaza twifuza kubona

Mu bintu byose bitera izamuka ry’ibiciro by’amashanyarazi, gazi karemano ni kimwe mu bifite uruhare runini cyane.

Ni yo ifite uruhare runini kurusha ibindi mu kuzamura ibiciro by’amashanyarazi.

Bitandukanye no gusana no kubungabunga urusobe rw’amashanyarazi, gazi karemano ntabwo yongera ubwizerwe n’umutekano w’urusobe rw’amashanyarazi. Nanone, bitandukanye na gahunda z’ingufu zikomoka ku mirasire y’izuba, yo yangiza ibidukikije. Kandi ntifasha abaturage kugabanya amadolari bishyura nk’uko bikorwa na gahunda za Efficiency Maine.

Ni yo mpamvu twe, nk’imiryango iharanira kubungabunga ibidukikije, tubona iri zamuka ry’ibiciro nk’ikibazo ku butabera bushingiye ku bidukikije.

Tuzi ko ejo hazaza hazasaba kugabanya kwishingikiriza ku ngufu zituruka ku bicanwa by’ibikomoka kuri peteroli na gazi.

Tuzi kandi ko iyo ingufu zisubira ku bindi bitangiza ibidukikije, nk’izikomoka ku mirasire y’izuba, umuyaga n’andi masoko arambye, zishyizwe mu bikorwa neza kandi ku rugero ruhagije, bishobora kurengera ibidukikije, kongera ikizere kigirirwa urusobe rw’amashanyarazi, no kugabanya ibiciro by’ingufu ku baturage bose. Ibyo ni byo bituma twizera ko gushora imari mu ngufu zisubira kandi zirambye bishobora kuba igisubizo kirambye ku bibazo by’ibiciro by’amashanyarazi byugarije abaturage bo muri Maine.